What Warp Field Is Meant to Feel Like

Warp Field is built to deliver fast-paced, visceral action and high-stakes storytelling. Every mechanic, from the fluid combat economy to the customizable abilities, serves the goal of making gameplay feel intense, stylish, and cinematic.

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Damage in Warp Field is meant to represent real, brutal consequences. When a character takes damage, they aren’t getting scratched or brushed aside, they’re taking solid hits, bleeding, limping, or roaring through the pain. HP loss reflects serious harm, and surviving combat means enduring through sheer grit, tactics, and tenacity. Characters can survive full holes blown in their stomach and keep on going.

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Combat is not meant to be a slog. It is designed to keep people invested and active even when it's not their turn. Turns are meant to be impactful, smart plays should feel rewarding, and failure should shift the tone of the scene. The goal is to keep things moving, rapid-fire momentum punctuated by cinematic payoffs and narrative consequences.

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As the GM, you are encouraged to lean into action, make scenes pulse with tension, and reward bold play with Flow, Inspiration, or unexpected narrative shifts. Players should feel like they’re one step away from greatness… or total collapse.

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How to Run Warp Field

Running a game of Warp Field means guiding your players through impossible realities, strange dimensions, and colliding timelines. As the GM, you're not just a referee or storyteller—you’re the shifting gravity that bends logic, the hand behind every unraveling secret, and the force that brings the world alive. This section equips you with practical advice, imaginative fuel, and structural support to help you tell incredible stories while maintaining balance and flow at the table.

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Your Role as the GM

The Game Master (GM) in Warp Field acts as:

• Worldbuilder
   

• Arbiter of rules
   

• Voice of every other character
   

• And, perhaps most importantly, the guide through a universe where the laws of physics (and narrative) sometimes fold in on themselves.
   

Your role is to challenge your players—not control them. Warp Field offers players the freedom to create strange and powerful characters, push the boundaries of genre, and solve problems in wild, inventive ways. Your job is to ensure their freedom has friction—obstacles that matter, consequences that resonate, and surprises that shift the game in interesting directions.

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What the GM Does in Warp Field

Present the World

Describe scenes, guide exploration, and set the tone for each setting.

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Control NPCs & Enemies

Roleplay characters, run combatants, react believably to player choices.

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Resolve Outcomes

Set Difficulty Ratings (DRs), call for rolls, and narrate the results.

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Maintain Challenge

Ensure combat and exploration are exciting without overwhelming the party.

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Shape the Story

Use player choices to evolve the plot; introduce twists, themes, and tension.

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The GM is Also…

• The Cinematographer: Frame scenes cinematically. Imagine lighting, weather, camera angles.
   

• The DJ: Shift tone through pacing. Drop high-energy combat after slow-burn tension.
   

• The Editor: Know when to jump forward, cut a scene, or skip downtime.
   

• The Improviser: Be ready to throw out your notes when the players throw you a curveball.
   

• The Anchor: Hold the game steady. When chaos reigns, you are the table’s consistency.
   

 

GM Philosophy in Warp Field

Say Yes... With Consequences.
Let players try wild ideas. Even if it breaks expectations, reward creativity, but keep stakes real.

“Sure, you can override the mech’s AI mid-fall... but it’s going to take a contested roll, and failure means you crash hard.”

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Make Style Matter.
Reward cinematic, thematic, or stylish moves with mechanical bonuses or narrative control. If someone does something cool, reward them for it.

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Challenge, Don’t Punish.
When something goes wrong, let it drive the story forward.

“You failed the hacking roll, and now the firewall AI is aware. What do you do?”

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Narrate with Impact.
Don’t just say “You fail.” Say:

“The door hisses open… then slams shut. Red light fills the corridor. You hear boots—many of them—approaching fast.”

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Embrace the Chaos

Warp Field is meant to be customized and manipulated. If someone builds an overpowered character, meet them in kind. This game is meant to be balanced with the unbalanced.

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Session Zero Tips

Before the campaign begins, hold a Session Zero to:

• Set tone: gritty sci-fi horror, over-the-top anime action, surreal mind-bender?

• Clarify rules like Flow, Pressure, and custom abilities.

• Ensure player expectations align with your intended play style.

• Create player characters.
   

Scene and Encounter Design

Every good scene in Warp Field serves a purpose—whether to push the story forward, challenge the players, reveal character motivations, or showcase the bizarre rules of reality. As the GM, your job is to design each scene like a ticking engine, with tension, momentum, and room for creativity.

To build engaging scenes, focus on three key ingredients:

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1. A Clear Purpose or Tension

What is the central goal of this moment? What is at stake?

• Exploration: A strange ruin, off-map location, or corrupted building.
   

• Conflict: Combat is brewing—whether physical or ideological.
   

• Diplomacy: A tense conversation that could avert (or provoke) violence.
   

• Mystery: Clues must be pieced together before the next disaster strikes.
   

• Horror: Something is watching… and no one knows what it wants yet.
   

GM Tip: Write the core question of the scene in your notes. (“Will they reach the control tower in time?” “Will they realize the professor is lying?”)

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2. A Dynamic Environment

Warp Field rewards environments that push the players to think creatively. Rooms and landscapes shouldn't just be flavor—they should affect gameplay.

Consider adding:

• Verticality (cliffs, scaffolding, floating debris)
   

• Moving hazards (collapsing floors, unstable vehicles)
   

• Shifting terrain (spatial distortions, gravity warps)
   

• Limited visibility (fog, darkness, holograms)
   

• Time-based pressure (security alarms, flooding chambers)
   

GM Tip: Map the environment in zones, not grids. Describe everything in cinematic detail and let the players ask the questions.

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3. An Element of Uncertainty

A great scene leaves something unknown, creating tension and excitement. This could be:

• A trap that hasn’t been triggered
   

• An NPC whose loyalty is unclear
   

• An escape route that might not work
   

• A device that has unknown effects
   

Even in straightforward combat, you can introduce uncertainty by hiding enemy reinforcements, placing environmental hazards, or introducing a countdown.

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Encounter Type Breakdown

Here are some encounter types to inspire your planning. Most scenes can include more than one type and should.

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Combat

Turn-based, lethal, and momentum-driven. Mix enemy roles, status effects, and terrain to keep players on their toes.

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Investigation

Players collect clues using Deduction, Insight, Perception, or Lore. Use non-linear clues, red herrings, and require teamwork to piece the full picture together.

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Social Conflict

More than just talking, use Pressure, Deception, Persuasion, etc. NPCs may have goals, secrets, or tension that can be uncovered or manipulated.

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Warp Anomaly

Reality bends. Rooms loop, time reverses, logic falls apart. These encounters challenge players to think narratively and break normal assumptions.

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GM Tip: Combine encounter types for maximum impact.

• A social conflict could explode into combat if negotiations go south.
   

• An investigation might lead to an anomaly that traps them in time.
   

• A combat in a shifting environment could become an investigation once the threat is neutralized or even during the combat.

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Creating Warp Fields

Warp Fields are unstable pockets of alternate reality—fragments of other timelines, broken dimensions, or emotional echoes given form. Each one is unique, unpredictable, and often hostile. Whether it's a dreamlike city warped by memory or a frozen jungle stuck in a time loop, Warp Fields represent the bleeding edge of narrative and exploration in Warp Field.

These places aren’t just strange settings—they’re living challenges, full of distortion, thematic meaning, and high-stakes decisions.

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GM Intent

Warp Fields are tools for delivering focused, narrative-rich content. Use them to explore character backstories, push dramatic tension, test creativity, and showcase the game’s core themes: distortion, unpredictability, and adaptability. They’re a GM’s playground—where the rules of reality are yours to bend.

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Field Design Steps

When designing a Warp Field, consider the following structure:

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1. Field Purpose – What narrative role does this Field serve?
    

   • Horror set piece?
      

   • Boss battle?
      

   • Character trauma metaphor?
      

   • Puzzle dungeon?
      

2. Inhabitants – Who or what lives here?
    

   • Are they native, corrupted, accidental visitors?
      

3. Physics Distortion – What rule of reality is broken here?
    

   • What makes the Field different from baseline reality?
      

4. Dominant Terrain – What environment defines this Field?
    

   • Is it alien, decayed, artificial, symbolic?
      

You may design a Field directly from the story, roll randomly from the following tables, or mix and match for inspiration.

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Table 1: Inhabitants

d10                 Inhabitant Profile                                             

1                     Hostile humanoid faction

2                     Friendly but wary native species

3                     Massive creature(s) rule the Field

4                     Swarm of insectoid or mindless beings

5                     A single psychic being shapes the reality

6                     Field is empty—only echoes of life remain

7                     Rival agency already inside

8                     Anomaly reflects people from PCs’ past

9                     Repeating clones of one individual

10                   Sentient terrain (land talks, moves, or reacts)

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Table 2: Physics Distortion

d10                     Distortion                                             

1                         Gravity is halved

2                         Gravity is doubled

3                         Time loops every 10 minutes

4                         Communication fails (no language works)

5                         Light bends—vision range is reduced

6                         Voltaic energy is inert

7                         Delay between action and result

8                         Fire floats, water is solid

9                         Emotions are amplified and contagious

10                       Cause and effect are scrambled

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Table 3: Terrain Themes

d10                 Terrain Type                                             

1                         Collapsing urban skyline

2                         Submerged city

3                         Endless forest with unnatural geometry

4                         Mirror-world desert

5                         Floating island chains

6                         Mechanical labyrinth

7                         Graveyard of giants

8                         Alien coral wasteland

9                         Upside-down mountain range

10                       Simulated or pixelated environment

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Optional Mechanics & GM Advice

Field Collapse Timer
Some Fields degrade over time or due to interaction. Roll 1d6 for the number of hours until collapse, or link collapse to major plot triggers (e.g., once the Anomaly is touched).

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Narrative Echoes
Fields can reflect player memories, guilt, hopes, or trauma. A field may feel tailored to a character because it is—whether naturally, psionically, or through unknown forces.

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The Heart of the Field: The Anomaly

At the core of every Warp Field lies the Anomaly—the broken element of reality keeping the Field unstable. The player’s job is to identify, interpret, and resolve the Anomaly. The Field will not end until this happens.

An Anomaly may be:

• A person displaced from another timeline

• A cursed object or psychic anchor

• A failed experiment

• An emotional echo or living regret

Anomalies can be subtle, dramatic, or misdirecting. The goal is to build tension as players investigate the truth.

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Investigator Objective

To resolve a Warp Field, the party must:

1. Locate the Anomaly

2. Determine its Nature – Is it sentient? Reactive? Dangerous?

3. Decide how to Resolve it:

   • Destroy it

   • Stabilize it

   • Extract it

   • Appease it

   • Accept or integrate it

Violence is not always the solution. In fact, reckless force may make things worse.

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Table 4: Anomaly Type

d10                 Anomaly Origin                                             

1                         A child born between two timelines

2                         A device running impossible calculations

3                         A haunted painting that absorbs memory

4                         A person unaware they are the anomaly

5                         A severed god fragment

6                         A corrupted AI from a parallel cyberworld

7                         A song that loops the past

8                         A dreamer lost in stasis

9                         A creature unaware it doesn’t belong

10                       A virus rewriting the Field into another place

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GM Advice: Designing the Anomaly

• Tie it to the Environment
  A biomechanical jungle could house a sentient weapon core. A flooded ruin might contain a trapped survivor in a stasis loop.

• Make it Thematic
  If the party has unresolved grief, the anomaly might be someone they failed to save—reborn in another timeline.

• Use Red Herrings
  Present multiple false leads. Let the players guess and investigate instead of giving it away.

• Offer Multiple Solutions
  Players should be rewarded for thinking beyond “kill it.” They may find a cure, containment method, or empathetic resolution.

 

Optional Rule: Unstable Anomaly

If the players disturb the anomaly without understanding it:

• Roll again on the Physics Distortion table

• Introduce a mutation, enemy ambush, or terrain shift

• Reduce Flow generation and alter initiative order

This encourages caution, dialogue, and problem-solving—especially for high-tier anomalies.

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Building a Warp Field Adventure

Warp Fields are dangerous, unstable incursions, pockets of distorted reality bleeding into the current one. They are not the world itself, but glitches in its fabric, fragments of broken timelines or metaphysical errors. Left unchecked, a Warp Field will eventually anchor itself, fusing its corrupted physics, inhabitants, and anomalies into the local reality permanently. The job of a Warp Field Investigator is to enter these Fields, assess the threat, and stop that from happening.

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Warp Fields Are Disruptions—Not the Main World

While they play a major role in the setting, Warp Fields are not the default environment of play. Most stories begin in the fractured, chaotic but recognizable “real world” where cities are built around cracks in reality, secret organizations manage containment, and warped zones appear suddenly, sometimes violently.

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That doesn’t mean an entire campaign can’t be set within a Warp Field, however. A group of people, native to the Field’s reality and  dealing with the encroaching investigators could be quite a fun game!

Warp Fields serve a number of narrative purposes:

• Main story arcs where an anomaly ties directly to a faction or major threat

• Side missions or cases that send players into unstable pockets temporarily

• Mystery episodes revealing truths about the setting or the PCs

• Environmental escalation when something from inside the Field starts seeping out

You can use them as brief interruptions, deep dives, or campaign-defining events. But the true tension always lies in the collision between stable reality and these chaotic micro-worlds.

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The Role of the Field in Your Story

When building a Warp Field adventure, ask:

1. What triggered this Field?
   Was it an object, person, experiment, or memory that fractured the local physics?

2. What happens if it's left unresolved?
   Will the anomaly infect the city? Rewrite time? Replace entire regions with new ones?

3. What does the Field reflect or challenge?
   Tie the Field’s logic and terrain to a theme: grief, memory, hubris, or technology.

4. Who else is involved?
   Are rival factions trying to claim the anomaly? Are civilians trapped inside?

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The Real Stakes: Stabilization vs. Collapse

Every Field is temporary—until it isn’t. If not dealt with, it will eventually:

• Become part of the real world

• Alter nearby geography

• Spawn anomalies or hostile entities

This makes Field investigation an urgent, mission-based task. It’s not just exploration—it’s containment, understanding, and resolution.

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Adventure Structure: Core Questions

When designing a Warp Field adventure (big or small), answer these key questions:

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1. Why Does This Field Exist?

• Was it created by accident, emotion, experimentation, or cosmic error?
   

• Is it bleeding into the world, or sealed off?
   

• Who wants to keep it that way?
   

2. Who is Involved?

• Who else is here? NPCs? Rivals? Victims? A trapped soul?
   

• What’s the power dynamic between factions or inhabitants?
   

• Are there others also seeking the anomaly—or trying to hide it?
   

3. What’s the Hook?

• What leads the players here? A mission? Missing person? Malfunction?
   

• Does something from their past exist inside this Field?
   

• What immediate tension forces them to act?
   

4. What Are the Stakes?

• What happens if the anomaly remains?
   

• What could go wrong if it’s handled poorly?
   

• Is the Field spreading? Influencing others?
   

5. What’s the Exit Strategy?

• Can they leave freely?
   

• Must they stabilize the Field first?
   

• Is someone or something stopping them from leaving?
   

Running Combat

Dynamic, fast-paced, and style-forward.
Combat in Warp Field is built for momentum and expression. It rewards bold tactics, creative improvisation, and player synergy.
As GM, your goal is to make every battle feel like a set-piece—visceral, cinematic, and driven by high stakes.

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Combat Flow & Feel

Combat is turn-based, but it should feel dynamic and reactive.

• HP represents real injury, not scratches or grazes. Every hit counts.

• Players should feel powerful but tested.

• Lean into:
  • Terrain-driven challenges
  • Team-based synergy
  • Narrative consequences for success or failure
   

Combat Design Tips

Mix Enemy Types

Create encounters with varied enemy roles:

• Melee rushers + ranged snipers

• Support units + glass cannons

• Stealth assassins + armored tanks

Each group of enemies should lean into different tactics. Even if the enemies have been seen before, a combat can feel completely different based on the group tactics.

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Layer the Environment

Add verticality, cover, hazards, and terrain tags that interact with abilities.
Encourage players to manipulate or reshape the battlefield, making every encounter feel alive.

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Use States Liberally

Conditions like Blind, Prone, Staggered, Poisoned, or Slowed create tension and choice.
Don’t just deal damage! Debuff, trap, and force adaptation.

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Leverage Flow and Combos

Encourage team synergy and cinematic moments.
When players combine their abilities, reward the use of Flow coordination with tactical bonuses or special narrative situations.

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Momentum Tricks

Say Yes Creatively

When players describe bold or risky maneuvers—especially if they spend Flow—say yes, and let the rule-bending make the fight memorable.

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This isn't a one way street though. Let your named NPC's and important enemies have the same.

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Reward Cinematic Play

When players do something awesome—
like swinging from a chain, flash-stepping behind a boss, or weaponizing the environment—
reward them with:

• Extra Flow

• Temporary bonuses

• GM Inspiration

• Etc.
   

Reduce DRs for Clever Tactics

If a player sets up a smart ambush, environmental trick, or deception, lower the Difficulty Rating for that roll.
Reward ingenuity and problem solving.

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Use Pressure to Show Power

High-Pressure enemies should reshape the fight just by existing on the field.
Let their presence alter gravity, distort light, or crush the battlefield under their aura.

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GM Combat Success Tips

• Track goals visually. Keep momentum by reminding players what matters right now.

• Use their Schools, Virtues, and backstories. Tie combat to character arcs and moral dilemmas.

• Don't be afraid to destroy the surroundings. If your party is fighting against a sufficiently powerful foe, go ahead and destroy that skyscraper, so that they have to run from the falling rubble.

• Celebrate player style. Reward creativity and flair.

• End with impact. Fights should finish on a beat: a reveal, transformation, or cinematic finisher.
   

Terrain

Terrain in Warp Field is more than scenery: it’s a mechanical weapon in every encounter.
It affects movement, visibility, positioning, and tactics, forcing players to think dynamically and adapt to shifting conditions.

Each zone or space on the battlefield can have one or more Terrain Tags, each defining how it behaves.

Tags can stack and combine, allowing GMs to craft layered, cinematic combat arenas.

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Terrain Tags

Each tag represents a specific environmental rule.
Zones may include multiple tags simultaneously.

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Acid: You take 1d4 damage for every 5 feet you move through Acid terrain.

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Difficult Terrain: –1 SPD (stacks).

Unstable: On a failed Acrobatics or Scaling check, fall and take damage. Contested rolls to resist forced movement are made with disadvantage.

Obscured: +3 to Stealth; ranged attacks have Disadvantage.

Irritating: Max RP is reduced by 1 for every Irritating tag in this zone.

Toxic: At the start of your turn, roll a Contested Resilience roll vs DR 6 or gain 1 Poison stack.

Burning: Take 1d4 Pyro damage at the start of your turn.

Freezing: Roll END vs DR 6 or gain Slowed.

 

Frozen Ground: The first time you move on a turn it costs an additional AP. You must make a Contested Acrobatics roll upon stopping, or fall prone and continue moving across the frozen ground for half of your movement speed.

Magnetic: Mechanical characters must make a Contested Athletics roll or be pulled 10 ft. toward the source. If the character comes in contact with the magnetic surface, it may become Glitched as it interferes with its computer.

Crushing: Gravity presses down on you, dealing 1d6 Bludgeoning damage at the start of each turn. 

Danger Zone: Fail any Reaction. Take an additional 1d6 damage.

Hazard: If pushed or knocked prone, trigger a trap of your choice (spikes, lava, etc.).

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Terrain Type Templates

Use these ready-made terrain profiles as inspiration for your maps.
Each combines multiple tags for quick setup and cinematic encounters.

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Forest / Jungle: Difficult Ground, Obscured, High Cover, Unstable

Urban Streets: Low Cover, High Cover, Unstable, Danger Zone

Mountains / Cliffs: Unstable, Difficult Ground, High Cover, Hazard

Desert / Dunes: Difficult Ground, Irritating, Obscured, Hazard

Arctic Wastes: Frozen Ground, Freezing, Obscured, Danger Zone

Marshlands / Swamp: Difficult Ground, Toxic, Obscured, Unstable

Volcanic Crags: Burning, Danger Zone, Unstable, Hazard

Ruins / Ancient Tech: Unstable, Obscured, High Cover, Hazard

Underground / Caves: Difficult Ground, Unstable, Obscured, Crushing

Sky Platforms: Unstable, Danger Zone, Low Cover

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Customizing Maps

When designing a battlefield, focus on interaction and motion rather than static layouts.

• Divide the map into zones or color-coded areas.

• Assign 1–3 Terrain Tags per zone to shape behavior.

• Add event triggers such as collapsing bridges, shifting gravity, or electrified panels.

• Encourage player creativity: let them find ways to use or alter the terrain mid-fight.

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Creating NPCs and Enemies

In Warp Field, NPCs and enemies are constructed using the same core mechanics as players, ensuring transparency and balance. Every enemy action has the potential to be a player action, and every system interaction stays consistent—whether you’re running a cosmic assassin or a swarm of corrupted drones.

You have two main options when creating NPCs:

• Full Character Creation for named or recurring characters

• Quick Stat Blocks for encounters and pacing
  
   

1. Full Character Creation

Use this method for:

• Named NPCs

• Story-critical characters

• Recurring antagonists

• Faction leaders or allies

These NPCs are created exactly like players:

• Assign a Being

• Set Attributes (all start at 1, increase freely; total determines Pressure)

• Choose a main School

• Select Skills, Weapon Proficiencies, Potentials and Abilities

• Choose Virtues and Flaws, maybe even an Origin

• Assign gear using Strength and slot limits

• Create a Signature Ability, if needed

This method provides maximum control, synergy, and consistency with the rules. You can even level them up between sessions just like a PC.

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2. Quick Stat Blocks (Pressure-Based NPCs)

For one-shots, fast encounters, or rapid prep, use Pressure tiers to guide stat generation. Pick the tier that fits the encounter, and assign values accordingly.

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Grunt

Pressure Range: Up to 20
Abilities: 1–3
Weapon Proficiency Points: 2
Skill Proficiency Points: 2
Combat Role: Simple attacker; low survivability

 

Soldier

Pressure Range: 21–39
Abilities: 3–5
Weapon Proficiency Points: 2–3
Skill Proficiency Points: 5
Combat Role: Tactical enemies; group-focused

 

Elite

Pressure Range: 40–59
Abilities: 5–8
Weapon Proficiency Points: 3–5
Skill Proficiency Points: 6–9
Combat Role: Dangerous foes; may have a Signature Ability

 

Boss

Pressure Range: 60+
Abilities: 8+
Weapon Proficiency Points: 5+
Skill Proficiency Points: 10+
Combat Role: Battle-altering threats; often field control

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Design Notes

• Pressure = The total of all six Attributes (STR, AGI, END, SPD, INT, CHA).
• Weapon and Skill Proficiency Points are spent the same as Player Characters (e.g., Level 3 = 3 points).
• Elites and Bosses may have a Signature Ability.
• The Being Type can remain undefined for generic builds or be themed for flavor (e.g., Cultist, Drone, Mercenary).
 

GM Notes

• Mix & match freely: Combine Origins, Beings, gear, and School identity to customize threats.

• Faction flavor: Let Abilities and gear reflect a faction’s ideals, technology, or history.

• Boss Tips: Boss level Enemies can easily take on groups on their own.

• You don’t need full stat sheets. Quick math + creative flavor beats perfect balance.

 

You can find pre-made characters in the Bestiary. These characters are organized based on Pressure Level and Faction. For the most part, these characters can be used as build examples as well. Most characters in the Bestiary, aside from a few, can be replicated as player characters through a bit of work.

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NPC Standing

Standing is a flexible system that represents how much an individual NPC—or an entire group or faction—likes, trusts, or resents a character. It’s influenced by social interactions, completed objectives, negotiations, and actions.

 

Most NPCs begin with a Standing of 0 (Neutral). Over time, this value can rise or fall based on the character’s behavior. This provides a structured way to reflect evolving relationships and social consequences.

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Standing usually applies to individual NPCs, but may also represent a character’s reputation within a faction or region.

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Standing Levels

 

+3 Trusted Ally

The NPC will help in almost any situation, even risking their life.
Merchants may offer major discounts or free items.
Social Skill Modifier: +5

 

+2 Friend

The NPC actively supports the character’s goals within reason.
They won’t take major risks but will offer meaningful help or resources.
Social Skill Modifier: +3

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+1 Favorable

The NPC treats the character kindly and may offer minor help or advice.
Social Skill Modifier: +1

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0 Neutral

The NPC has no strong feelings toward the character.
Interactions are polite but professional.
Social Skill Modifier: ±0

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–1 Irritated

The NPC is annoyed or tired of the character’s behavior.
They may act cold or dismissive, and their opinion drops more easily.
Social Skill Modifier:  –1

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–2 Dislike

The NPC openly dislikes the character and shows it.
Merchants may raise prices or refuse to cooperate.
Social Skill Modifier:  –3

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–3 Hostile

The NPC actively hates or seeks to harm the character.
They may sabotage, obstruct, or attack.
Merchants will refuse service entirely.
Social Skill Modifier: –8

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GM Advice

• Track Standing only for important NPCs or factions, not every minor contact.
• Changes in Standing can result from dialogue, quest outcomes, witnessed events, or rumors.
• Let players win over enemies or lose allies through meaningful choices.
• Use this system to support both long-term story arcs and moment-to-moment negotiations.

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Pursuits and Chase Sequences

In Warp Field, a Pursuit begins when one group attempts to escape while another gives chase. These high-stakes chases operate under special movement and positioning rules designed to reflect the constant motion and reactive choices involved in a chase.

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How Pursuits Work

During a Pursuit, all characters or vehicles involved are constantly moving. Because of this, traditional movement rules are suspended in favor of Relative Movement, where movement on the battlefield represents gaining or losing distance between participants.

Each round is broken into phases like normal, but with special rules for the Movement Phase and Positioning.

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Relative Movement

In a Pursuit, movement is determined by comparing the SPD of the pursuing and fleeing characters or vehicles.

Each round during the Movement Phase:

• Subtract the Pursuer’s SPD from the Target’s SPD.

• The result is the number of spaces the Target moves forward relative to the Pursuer.

• If the Pursuer's SPD is higher, the result is negative, and they move closer instead.
   

Example:

• Target SPD: 5

• Pursuer SPD: 3

• Result: Target moves 2 spaces forward relative to the Pursuer.
  The pursuer stays in place, and the distance between them increases.
   

If the SPD values are equal, neither party changes position.

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Chase Positions and Zones

Use zones or a linear map to represent distance. Characters can exist in one of the following relative positions:

• Close (Adjacent): Melee range — can make physical attacks or abilities.

• Near (1–2 spaces away): Within medium range for abilities or ranged attacks.

• Far (3+ spaces): Long-range only. Most short-range actions cannot reach.
   

Characters may move between these zones using Relative Movement, terrain effects, or special actions.

 

Pursuit Actions

Characters may take special actions during a Pursuit to change outcomes or disrupt their opponents.

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Sprint (2 AP): Add +2 SPD for this round only.

Cut Off (3 AP): Move diagonally or laterally to intercept. Must succeed on a contested SPD or AGI roll.

Obstacle Drop (2 AP): Leave a hazard or trap behind. The pursuer must roll Evade or suffer effects.

Attack (2 AP): If Close, attempt a melee attack or vehicle ram.

Evade (1 RP): Attempt a defensive reaction when targeted.

Break Line of Sight: If you end the round in the Far position and have 3+ terrain features (walls, cars, etc.) between you and the pursuer, you may attempt to escape. See below.

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Ending a Pursuit

A Pursuit ends when one of the following occurs:

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The Pursuer Catches Up

• The Pursuer moves to Close range and maintains it for one full round.

• If they succeed, combat may resume under normal tactical rules or the pursuit continues.
   

The Target Escapes

• If the Target ends a round at Far distance and has a broken line of sight, they may attempt to escape.

• Roll SPD + AGI vs. DR 10 (set by terrain and tension).

• On success, the Target successfully escapes the Pursuit.
   

The Terrain Ends

If the chase has a clear destination (e.g., a cliff, gateway, or finish line), reaching that point resolves the chase regardless of current range.

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Vehicle Pursuits

Vehicle Pursuits follow the same structure but use vehicle SPD and Handling for Response Rolls. Use mounted weapons, terrain hazards, and mods creatively to turn the tide.

 

Chase Complications

To keep Pursuits cinematic, GMs put obstacles into it. The GM can make them up or roll or choose complications:

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1 Patch of Difficult Terrain: Response Rolls have Disadvantage.

2 Civilians or wildlife interfere with the path.

3 Narrow pass: Only one character can pass at a time.

4 Environmental hazard (explosion, fire, debris).

5 A shortcut appears (Deduction or Perception check to use).

6 A secondary enemy joins the chase!

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Swimming Rules

In Warp Field, swimming is treated as a special form of movement affected by terrain, gear, and your Athletics skill. Environmental hazards such as deep water, currents, or low visibility can increase Difficulty Ratings (DRs).

 

Basic Swimming

Movement Cost: Swimming costs 2 AP per 5 feet unless otherwise modified.
 

Checks: Make an Athletics check to swim in hazardous conditions or to maintain position in flowing water.

Calm Water: No check required

Moderate Current: DR 6

Rough Current or Choppy Water: DR 9

Rapid or Violent Flow: DR 12+
 

Holding Breath

Characters can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to 3 + END before they begin to suffocate. After this time:

Make a DR 10 Resilience check each round to avoid falling unconscious. Each round you have a stacking -2 penalty to Resilience rolls.

Once unconscious, you begin dying unless rescued or you reach air within 3 rounds.

 

Gear & Effects

Heavy Armor: Automatically causes you to sink. You must pass a DR 8 Athletics check each round to stay afloat or remove the armor.

Medium Armor: DR +3 to any swim checks.

Light Armor: No penalty.

Backpacks & Overburdened Status: If carrying more than your slot limit, add +3 to swim DRs.

Over Armor: Some Over Armor (like Exoskeletons) may restrict swimming completely.

 

Special Actions in Water

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Attacking in Water

-2 to attack rolls unless the weapon is specially designed (e.g., harpoons).

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Casting Abilities

Abilities act as normal for the most part. GM's may require changes for certain situations while swimming. Certain elemental reactions change while underwater or swimming.

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Swimming in Combat

You may swim while in combat, but Reaction Points cannot be used to Evade unless you have water-adapted gear or abilities.

 

GM Tips

Use swimming zones in combat maps to introduce hazards, slow movement, or create tactical space.

Combine swimming with environmental hazards, such as drowning NPCs, flooded reactors, or stealthy underwater threats.